Residential Life Welfare Officer

University of East London 

We’re the University of East London (UEL) founded in 1898 and proud to change lives through education. Our goal is to advance industry 5.0 careers-first education and provide a clear path to the jobs and opportunities of the future. We’re committed to driving diversity in the 5.0 talent pipeline, working in partnership to promote talent wherever it is found and creating a balanced, inclusive, and green future. 

But we can't achieve this goal alone. We need forward-thinking, innovative, and curious individuals like you to join our community and help us craft our future. As part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people who share your passion for creating positive change. We’re an inclusive and welcoming community that is constantly moving forward, never satisfied with the status quo. 

About the School / Service  

We are Student Services and are responsible for nurturing wellness, supporting individual needs, helping students in crisis, improving retention, and enabling positive experiences through residential life and extracurricular activities. Working in partnership across academic schools and professional services, our teams seek to provide a network of support throughout the student journey and aim to optimise student success.  

The Student Services directorate is led by the Assistant Chief Operating Officer, Health Gain & Student Experience. Our department incorporates a number of professional support teams including; Student HUB, Student Conduct, Academic Tutoring, Residential Life, Student Disability and Dyslexia, Student Life, Student Money Advice and Rights Team, Student Engagement, Retention and Success and Student Wellbeing.  

About the Job 

The Residential Life Welfare Officer role provides professional, accessible welfare support to the 1169 residents in UEL’s Halls of Residence, acting as the first responder for students who require pastoral care or support across a range of welfare issues. The role requires a talented, empathic individual who can assess challenging situations effectively and provide appropriate information, advice and guidance, referring to specialist where necessary. The role also requires the development and delivery of a restorative and educational approach to instances and allegation of misconduct. Experience of working in a multi-functional residential service, of a similar size and complexity to our university accommodation. 

This position is a temporary role to provide maternity cover, expected to last one year. The post holder will be based on campus, and weekend work is required.  

• Experience of using IT systems to handle enquiries and maintain records (e.g. SITS, CRM, Room Service) 
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team with both internal and external services 
• Experience of resolving conflict 
• Able to manage time effectively, work methodically, and prioritise busy workloads, whilst maintaining excellent attention to detail 
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills, able to build professional relationships with students, staff and external stakeholders, acting with tact and discretion as necessary 
• Able to communicate calmly and effectively under pressure and deal with conflict situations (e.g. student disciplinaries, complaints, sensitive wellbeing matters).

About You 

The ideal candidate will be a compassionate and proactive individual with a strong background in providing welfare support, ideally within a multi-functional residential service or similar setting. You will have experience in managing sensitive situations with empathy and professionalism, offering proactive advice and guidance whilst knowing when to refer to specialist services. Your interpersonal skills will enable you to build effective relationships with students, staff and external stakeholders, always acting with tact and discretion. With a detail orientated approach, you are adept at managing multiple priorities, maintaining accurate records and remain calm and composed when dealing with conflict, misconduct or challenging wellbeing matters. 

The ideal post holder will be committed to fostering a restorative and educational approach to misconduct, contributing to a supportive and inclusive residential community. 

Benefits Package